A traditional dhow made entirely out of recycled ocean plastics and flip-flops. (Credit: Theflipflopi.com)
“Flipflopi” is a circular economy movement based in East Africa. Ali Skanda, a renowned sailing dhow builder from Lamu in Kenya and his team were able to craft the various components of a traditional dhow, combining traditional boat building whilst also pioneering new techniques.
“Ten tonnes of plastic waste, all collected from the Kenyan coast, were melted, shaped and carved by the team exactly as they would do with wood. Clad in 30,000 flip flops, the footwear of 3 billion people (and the most common item found during our beach clean ups), the dhow, aptly named “The Flipflopi”, is over nine metres long and weighs 7 tonnes – it is a world first.”
Kenya recycling activists turn ocean plastics into dhow (Al Jazeera)
